U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2018 President’s Budget Request

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2018 President’s Budget Request

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Updated August 25, 2017
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2018
President’s Budget Request
Since FY2006, Congress has funded the Environmental
the appropriations process. The need for a current
Protection Agency (EPA) in the Interior, Environment, and
authorization of appropriations is a procedural requirement.
Related Agencies appropriations bill. Title II of Division G
Congress may appropriate funding for a program or activity
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31)
for which the authorization of appropriations has expired if
enacted May 5, 2017, provided $8.06 billion (after
no Member raises a point of order or the rules are waived
rescissions) for EPA for FY2017, $208.7 million (2.5%)
for consideration of a particular bill. Congress has typically
less than the FY2017 budget request. Released May 23,
done so to continue appropriations.
2017, the President’s FY2018 budget request proposed
$5.66 billion for EPA, $2.40 billion (29.8%) less than the
History of EPA Budget Authority
FY2017 enacted appropriations and $2.61 billion (31.6%)
Figure 2 presents EPA’s total budget authority historically
less than requested for FY2017. (Note that the FY2018
in nominal dollars and adjusted for inflation. Budget
President’s budget request was prepared prior to the
authority as provided through annual appropriations is
enactment of P.L. 115-31; thus, funding comparisons in the
reflected in the line identified as “nominal dollars.”
request and supporting documents are based on estimated
Adjusted for inflation, the FY2018 requested level for EPA
FY2017 “annualized” levels associated with the continuing
would be the lowest level since the initial years of the
resolutions in effect at the time.)
agency’s operation. (FY1976 is the first fiscal year budget
authority reported by the Office of Management and
Trends in requested and enacted appropriations for EPA
Budget.)
over the past decade are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 2. EPA Total Discretionary Budget Authority
Figure 1. EPA Requested and Enacted Appropriations
FY1976-FY2018 Request
FY2008-FY2018
($ in billions adjusted and not adjusted for inflation)

Source: CRS using information from the Congressional Record; House,

Senate, and conference reports; and EPA’s FY2018 Congressional
Source: CRS based on the Office of Management and Budget
Budget Justification. Enacted amounts reflect rescissions and
(OMB), Budget of the United States Government Fiscal Year 2018,
supplemental appropriations, including $7.22 billion included for EPA
Historical Tables, Table 5.4 and Table 10.1. FY2009 funding level
in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5).
reflects the supplemental appropriations included for EPA in the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5).
Funding is appropriated to EPA to support the agency’s
primary responsibilities under several federal
EPA Appropriations Accounts
environmental pollution control statutes in coordination
Funding is annually appropriated to EPA among 10
with states. EPA also awards grants to assist delegated
accounts established by Congress over time: State and
states and local governments to support implementation and
Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG), Environmental Programs
compliance with federal requirements to control pollution.
and Management (EPM), Hazardous Substance Superfund
Authorization of Appropriations
(“Superfund”), Science and Technology (S&T), Leaking
Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Trust Fund Program,
The statutory authorization of appropriations for many of
Buildings and Facilities (B&F), Office of Inspector General
the programs and activities administered by EPA has
(OIG), Inland Oil Spill Program, Hazardous Waste
expired, but Congress has continued to fund them through
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2018 President’s Budget Request
Electronic Manifest System Fund, and Water Infrastructure
The FY2018 request would reduce funding across many of
Finance and Innovation Program (WIFIA).
the functions of EPA that have been the focus of
congressional debate in recent fiscal years. In current law,
Figure 3. EPA Appropriations by Account FY2008 -
these primary functions include federal financial assistance
FY2018 Requested
to states for drinking water infrastructure projects through
capitalization grants for State Revolving Funds (SRFs)
(FY2018 funding for wastewater SRFs would increase),
various categorical grants to support the implementation
and enforcement of federal environmental statutes
delegated to the states, funding for the agency’s
implementation and research support for air pollution
control requirements, EPA actions to address climate
change and greenhouse gas emissions, and funding for
environmental remediation. The request would also
eliminate federal assistance for several geographic-specific
initiatives, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
and Chesapeake Bay program.
Appropriated and requested funding for these various
program areas are typically presented as line items below

the EPA appropriations account level in EPA’s
Source: Prepared by CRS using information from the Congressional
congressional budget justifications, congressional
Record; House, Senate, and conference committee reports; and EPA’s
committee reports, and the Congressional Record.
FY2018 Congressional Budget Justification. Enacted amounts include
supplemental appropriations and across-the-board rescissions but not
EPA Staff Levels
additional rescissions of prior-year funds among certain accounts.
The President’s FY2018 request proposed 11,611 full-time
equivalents (FTEs) for EPA to administer federal
As indicated in Figure 3, the proportional distribution of
environmental statutes in coordination with delegated
funding among these accounts has remained similar over
states. According to EPA-reported historical staffing levels,
the past decade. The STAG and EPM accounts have
the request would be the lowest since 1982. Congress does
received the largest share of funding, followed by the
not set EPA staffing levels in annual appropriations acts.
Superfund and S&T accounts. The STAG account funds
EPA generally determines staffing levels based on the
grants for water infrastructure, brownfields site assessment
availability of annual appropriations enacted each fiscal
and remediation, diesel emissions reduction, targeted
year to fund the agency. In its Congressional Budget
airsheds, and “categorical” grants to states and tribes for
Justification, EPA reports total FTE positions and a
implementing pollution control. The EPM account funds
breakout of FTEs funded by appropriations account.
additional grants and many cross-cutting agency activities.
The Superfund account supports the environmental
Figure 4. EPA’s Reported Full Time Equivalent (FTE)
remediation of priority sites elevated for federal attention.
“Employment Ceiling History,” FY2003-FY2017
The S&T account funds research that supports agency
Enacted, and FY2018 Requested
regulatory decisions.
With the exception of the B&F and WIFIA accounts, the
President’s FY2018 request proposes funding reductions
below FY2017 enacted levels for all other EPA
appropriations accounts, although funding for some
program areas within the accounts would increase or remain
constant.
Funding and Policy Issues
Proposed FY2018 reductions and eliminations of funding
across EPA programs and activities have garnered
significant attention from Members of Congress, states,

U.S. territories, tribes, industry stakeholders, and health and
Source: CRS using information from EPA’s FY2017 EPA Budget in
environmental organizations. The reductions are distributed
Brief, Overview, p. 11 and FY2018 Budget in Brief, Overview, p. 8.
across EPA operational functions and activities as well as
Notes: FTE is defined as one employee working full time for a full
grants for states, tribes and local governments. In an agency
year (52 weeks x 40 hours = 2,080 hours) or the equivalent hours
press release announcing the FY2018 budget request, EPA
worked by several part-time or temporary employees.
indicated that the proposed funding reflects a shift of
priorities toward the agency’s “core statutory mission” and
Robert Esworthy, Specialist in Environmental Policy
is intended to reduce “redundancies” and “inefficiencies”
David M. Bearden, Specialist in Environmental Policy
and “return responsibility for funding local environmental
IF10665
efforts to state and local entities.”
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2018 President’s Budget Request

Disclaimer
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